How to Develop, Manage and Communicate Effective Schedules ...Sessio… · Communicate Effective Schedules Using Primavera P6 ... to Develop, Manage and Communicate Effective Schedules

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How to Develop, Manage and Communicate Effective Schedules Using Primavera P6™ Professional

10686

Raquel Shohet, PSPVice PresidentHill International, Inc.

How to Develop, Manage and Communicate Effective Schedules Using Primavera P6™ Professional

Bio of Raquel Shohet, PSP

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• Founded in 1976• Headcount Over 4,800• Hill is the largest independent PM/CM firm in the world • Hill is the largest claims firm in the world

– Client base includes Owners, Contractors, Subcontractors, Architects, Engineers, Law Firms, Insurance and Surety Companies, Investment Banks and Commercial Banks

– Construction Claims Group Services include:• Claims Analysis• Litigation Support• Cost and Damages Assessment• Delay and Disruption Analysis• Expert Witness Testimony• Lender Advisory Services• Risk Assessment• Project Neutral®• Adjudication

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Presentation Objectives

• This presentation will cover best practices for using Primavera P6™ Professional to:– Develop effective schedules– Manage schedules– Communicate schedules

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Schedule Development

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Planning Considerations

• Review Project, Contractual and Internal requirements for:– Application Integration– Global/Project Structures

• Project Definition and Coding• Work Breakdown Structure and Coding• Activity Code Structures (Global/Project)• Activity Structures (ID’s and Naming Conventions)

– Resource / Cost Requirements– Durations and Global/Project Calendars– Calculation and Float Rules– Updating – Reporting

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Schedule Development Overview

• Steps for Schedule Planning and Development (AACE International)

1. Plan for Schedule Planning and Development2. Identify Activities3. Develop Activity Logic4. Estimate Durations5. Establish Schedule Requirements6. Allocate Resources7. Optimize Schedule


• Consistency is the key to ‘battle’ inconsistent data• Standards are fundamental to support the schedule

data– Standards in the contract requirements– Standards in the review of the schedule– Operating Procedures and Flow Diagrams

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• Project Management or P6™ organizes project information based on hierarchical structures. Each structure consists of at least one root or base level and multiple sub or lower levels.

• At the highest level the projects are typically organized around an ‘Enterprise Project Structure’ or grouping of the database of projects (i.e. type, clients, phasing, etc.). Projects are organized by common attributes based on the organizational requirements.

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• Enterprise Project Structure (EPS)– Organizes projects in the database– By Division , Location, Client, etc.

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• Add the Project– Copy from Template Project or Create New

• Enter the Project Basics• Project ID to identify the type of schedule (Current,

Baseline, What-if, TIA)• Planned Start• Must Finish By (if required)

– Recommend leaving this blank

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• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)– Project Specific

• Organizational breakdown of the project• Used for earned value

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• Activity Codes• Global• EPS• Project

– Use unique identifier to distinguish Global vs. Project codes

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• Calendars– Calendar Types (Enterprise menu, Calendars)

• Global (templates)• Resource• Project (project specific)

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• Calendars – Time Periods– (Admin menu, Admin Preferences, Time Periods tab)– Work Periods: System calendars are set to 8 hour

work periods.– Version 7 and above allows workday to be defined at

calendar level• “Use assigned calendar to specify the number of work

hours for each time period”

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• Calendar issues– Different Calendar Start/Finish times

• Affect Predecessor/Successor start times• Affect Float calculations (even if same hours/day)

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• Calendars– DON’T:

• Use Primavera Global calendars for project specific activities

• Create different calendars using different work hours / day for project specific activities

– DO:• Use Primavera Project calendars for project specific

activities• Standardize work week and time periods• Keep it simple, a day is a day. It doesn’t matter if it is

an 8 hour, 10 hour, or 12 hour day, it is still a day.

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• Identify Activities– Activity IDs

• Use Smart ID• Limit to 10 characters if importing / exporting to

P3/Suretrak

– Activity Names• Be clear, concise, consistent• Keyword as left-most word in name

– Helpful when sorting and searching in predecessor / successor windows and filters

• Limit to 48 characters if importing / exporting to P3/Suretrak

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• Activity Type– Milestones– Task Dependent and Resource Dependent– Level of Effort and WBS Summary– Default Activity type is set at Project Level (Project

Details, Defaults tab)

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• Percent Complete Types– Duration Percent Complete (default)– Physical Percent Complete– Units Percent Complete

• Default type defined at the Project Level (Projects Details, Defaults tab) and can be changed at the Activity Level (Activity Details, General Tab)

• Project Level defaults only apply to new activities.

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• Develop Schedule Logic– Four Relationship Types

• Finish to Start• Start to Start• Finish to Finish• Start to Finish

– Lags and Leads• Scheduling Option (Tools menu, Schedule, Options) to

choose which calendar determines lags / leads

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• Assign Constraints (if required by Contract)– Use for contract time requirements regarding

start/finish dates (i.e. Notice to Proceed, Substantial Completion, Final Completion)

– Constraints (Activity Details, Status Tab)• Primary• Secondary

• Types

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• Resources– Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) and Cost

Accounts • GLOBAL

– Resources can be Labor, Non Labor, and Material– Identify Project Resources vs. Global Resources

(Example: Project ID + Name) using hierarchical structure

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• Resource Settings – Resource and Activity Level– Should be defined before adding activities– Resource Details for Labor, Nonlabor, Material

• Auto Compute Actuals• Calculate costs from units

– Activity Details• Override Resource Details settings

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• Resource Settings - Project Level – Project Details, Calculations tab

• Link Actual and Actual This Period Units and Costs (when using Financial Periods)

– Project Details, Resources tab• Resources Drive activity dates by default

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• Resources are loaded based on the following:– Budgeted Duration of the activity– Budgeted Units (budgeted time or units of measure)

of the resource– Budgeted Units/Time (production rate) of the

resource

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• Schedule Options – General – Relationships to and from other projects– Open ends (critical or not critical)– Schedule Calculation options

• Retained Logic• Progress Override• Actual Dates

– Calculate Start to Start lag– Critical activity definition– Float definition– Calendar for scheduling relationship lag

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• Schedule Options – Advanced– Calculate multiple float paths by either Total Float or

Free Float– Pick activity to calculate float path to

• Helpful for multi-phased projects with different turnover dates

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Schedule Analysis & Optimization

• Review and Analyze schedule using:– Schedule Log– Claim Digger– Tabular Reports

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Schedule Management

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Schedule Management Overview

• Understand Contract and Specification Requirements

• Determine Update Frequency• Establish Baseline / Contract Schedule• Assign Responsibility to each activity• Provide Training• Gather Data• Visit Job site, hold update meeting, and validate

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Schedule Management

• Understand Contract and Specification Requirements– Frequency of updates– Procedures for updates versus revisions– Earned Value requirements– Cost and/or resource status requirements– Change management procedures– Software requirements

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Schedule Management

• Determine Update Frequency– Factors to consider:

• Contract Requirements• Internal company policy• Project budgeting Considerations

– Benefits to frequent updates:• Greater accuracy of as-built documentation• Promotes early identification of issues • Promotes timely issue resolution / mitigation• Enhances user’s skill in application & management of

schedule• Provides starting point to which user can return if errors

are made in updating process

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Schedule Management

• Establish Baseline / Contract Schedule– Baseline is the accepted as-planned schedule

(Contract Schedule)– In Primavera “Baseline” is a snapshot of project plan

(similar to “Target” in P3)• Number of baselines (maximum number is set by

Administrator)• User can assign up to 3 baselines to current schedule

for data comparisons• Can copy baselines when copying project

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Schedule Management

• Assign Responsibility to each activity– Use Activity Code

• Global vs. Project Specific• Group and Sort by Activity Code

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Schedule Management

• Assign Responsibility to each activity– Assign Resource / Role

• CAUTION: Resources and Roles are Global (use unique identifier)

– Group by resources in Assignments window

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Schedule Management

• Provide training• Gather Data – Use Update Layout or Report• Visit the jobsite, hold an update meeting, and

validate data

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Schedule Management

• Update the Schedule– Open the file (Exclusive / Shared / Read Only)– Importing and Configuring ‘Outside’ Information– Maintain Baseline– Rename File– Assign and Compare Baselines– Enter Status (dates, percent complete, resources,

costs)– Enter Revisions / Forecast (activities, durations, logic)– Review & Finalize– Export File

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Schedule Management

• Opening the file– Exclusive

• only one user can change / modify the schedule• Recommended to use when updating / statusing

– Shared • multiple users can change / modify the schedule AT

THE SAME TIME• CAUTION: this is the default when selecting project

from Project Window, right-click, select Open

– Read Only • view only mode• can not change / modify the schedule

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Schedule Management

• Maintain Baseline – (Activity window, Project, Maintain Baseline)

• Rename File to new version (i.e. EX00 to EX01) (Project Window)

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Schedule Management

• Reflection– P6 allows user to copy current schedule as a

‘Reflection’, make changes and merge back into current schedule

– CAUTION: The following data items when deleted in a Reflection copy WILL NOT be deleted in current schedule during the merge:

• Activities, • Relationships • Resource Assignments• WBS elements • Work Products and Documents • Project Expenses • Project Issues and Project Risks

– These would need to be manually deleted. (Oracle Knowledgebase ID 908732.1)

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Schedule Management

• Assign and Compare Baselines– Project: Standard baseline for comparison for all

users (typically the Contract Baseline Schedule)– User Baseline (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary)

• Primary Baseline allows for dates, resource, etc. comparisons

• Secondary and Tertiary compare date information only

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Schedule Management

• Check earned value settings (Admin, Earned Value, Earned Value Calculation)– These settings determine which baseline dates will be

used for comparison. – Recommendation: use “Budgeted values with current

dates”– CAUTION: Setting is global, not project specific,

affects all projects in the database

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Schedule Management

• Prior to statusing, make sure time is shown to alleviate non-standard start/finish times (Edit, User Preferences)

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Schedule Management

• Enter Status – Actual Start dates– Actual Finish dates– Percent complete– Remaining duration– Resources and/or Costs

• Enter Manually • Or use Update Progress (Tools menu, Update Progress)

– CAUTION: Apply Actuals and Update Progress use PLANNED Dates versus Scheduled Dates or Early Dates which may be different

• Calculate the schedule (Tools, Schedule) with new Data Date– Recommendation: To improve speed and efficiency of the program,

turn off option to “Schedule automatically when a change affects dates”

• Review data entered• Maintain Baseline (with ‘Status only’ in title)• Export the file• Review compared to previous update and Baseline schedule

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Schedule Management

• Enter Revisions / Forecast – New Activities– Delete Activities (Do not reuse Activity IDs)– Revise Logic– Revise Durations

• Calculate the schedule (Tools, Schedule) with new Data Date– Recommendation: To improve speed and efficiency of

the program, turn off option to “Schedule automatically when a change affects dates”

• Review data entered• Maintain Baseline (with ‘Revision’ added to title)• Export the file• Review compared to ‘status only’ update as well as

previous update and Baseline schedule

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Schedule Management

• Compare to previous update and Contract schedule– Create comparison layouts

• Assign appropriate baseline (Project menu, Assign Baseline)

• Select baseline bars (View, Bars) and baseline data columns

– Note: varying baseline types (Project vs. User Baselines –Primary, Secondary, Tertiary) allow for different levels of data for comparison.

– Check earned value settings (Admin Preferences, Earned Value)

• Determines what dates will be used for comparison –Planned or Start/Finish

• Recommendation: use “Budgeted values with current dates”

• CAUTION: Setting is global, not project specific, affects all projects in the database

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Schedule Communication

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• Good communication is key to project success• The schedule must be communicated in the appropriate

format to each of the various stakeholders• Primavera P6™ (version 8.2) tools available to produce:

– Graphical reports (layouts)– Time scaled logic diagrams– Tabular reports – specific focus on the Report Editor

• A narrative is a significantly more effective tool for communicating the status of the schedule than any report we can generate in P6

• The content of any report is the key to ‘effective’ reporting.

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• Layouts are developed by modifying data within Oracle Primavera P6™ windows

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• Layout Types:– User

• Available to a single user, for all accessible projects in the database

– Global• Available to all users, for all projects in the database

– Project• ‘Linked’ to a single project, for project specific reporting

requirements• Can export the layout with project file when using XML

export option

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• Graphical Layout Examples:– Gantt Chart – typical standard schedule hard-copy submittal– Lookaheads – useful for forecasting or short-interval reporting– Baseline Comparison Reports – analyses of schedule versions– Analysis Reports

• Critical path activities – based on Total Float or Longest Path• Milestones – focus on project or contractual level events• Missing Logic – review of potential errors in schedule logic• Remaining Activities – analysis of remaining project scope• Start Week Groups – activity organization by start (weekly,

monthly, etc.)• WBS – All Activities

– Resource Loading and Profile – review of resource allocations– Cost Loading and Cost Curves – review of project costs based

on activity assignments

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• Tabular Reports– Report Scope

• Global - available to all projects• Current Project - specific to one project

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• Standard Reports– Schedule– Resource– Cost

• Customize Reports using Report Editor or Report Wizard

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• Tabular Report Examples:– Schedule reports– Activity reports– Logic reports– Total float reports– Earnings reports

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• Narratives:– Discuss what was executed on the project– Discuss what was not executed and why– Review Milestones (Completion and Interim)– Specifically discuss:

• Longest Critical Path• Delay in delivery of critical items• Potential issues and what they will impact

– Discuss the paths leading to any contractual Interim Milestones

– Discuss what is to be expected during the next reporting period

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• Depending on what the report is trying to convey, a simple explanation along with an excerpt fro the schedule can say so much more than 100 pages of schedule printouts.– As seen in this snapshot from the schedule, the Longest

Critical Path slipped 13 days in a 20 day reporting period due to a delay in the delivery of special insulation.

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Summary

• Start with a Plan & Standards• Setup Structures (EPS, WBS, Codes, Resources)• Maintain Consistency (IDs, Calendars, Activity Names)• Verify Start/Finish Times to Avoid Calendar Errors• Use Caution in Modifying or Applying

Global/Enterprise/Admin to a project schedule• Set Resources options/defaults correctly from the start• Understand Schedule Calculation options• Use the Tools provided to optimize the schedule (i.e.

Schedule Log, Layouts, Reports, etc.)• Update Frequently• Save copies of the schedule• Communicate the schedule in appropriate format to each

stakeholder

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Questions ?

Contact Information:Raquel [email protected]

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